The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-25
! DIVERTING THE TRADE.
q FLORIDA RAILROAD OPERATING
IN BEHALF OF SAVANNAH.

Tow an Advance IN Rates VIII Bring
Florida Lumber to This Port-Fer-
nandina and Jacksonville Vigorously
Protesttng-An Apparent Decrease In
the Bulk of the Business Here
Explained - The Opinions Of Seine
Local Merchants.
The recent lumber disturbance at Jack
souville aud Fernandina, Fla, in respect to
the raising of the rates TO the latter port,
seems to have had very little, If any, effect
Oh the lumber interests here. Sometime
ago the Florida Railroad and Navigation
Co. reduced the rates TO Fernandina by $1.5
PEI. car load, giving Fernandina that ad-
vantage o--er jacksonville, although the
latter had the advantage of a shorter haul.
Jacksonville, which had been steadily losing
It's lumbar trade for months past, to Fer
nandinas gain, resented this reduction
rs a direct blow TO its interests. The mer-
chants and business men began all agitation
on the subject, and finally the Board of
Trade took up the matter. At a meeting of
one of its committees Col. Papy appeared
before them and quitesa discussion ensued,
the railroad representative taking the posi-
ton that the reduction only placed the rate
where it was before, and that 1t was not in
the line of any attack on Jacksonville's in
forest whatever. The Board of Trade was
not satisfied with this, however, and kept
the matter agitated till finally the railroad
company raised the rate to its original
jgureS.
THE ISLAND CITY INDIGNANT
This, of course caused the Fernandina
people to growl and to speak haTshly of the
jealousy Of their sister city. A Fernandina
correspondent of the Jacksonville Times
UaioR recently expressed their views as
follows:
The Increase Of rates on lumber on the
Florida Railway and Navigation to Fernandna
is the general topic of conversation among our
mnb.r dealers and others, and it is being al
ready demonstrated that the move is driving
the trade TO Savannah, a result entirely opposite
30 that intended, unless the jacksonville mer-
chsnts wish to cater 10 SsFannahs interests.
If the latter is a fact they have taken the
right course 70 do SO. Il is the opinion of those
heavy shippers, N. b Borders, Wheefwrieht &
Co. Col Russell and others, that Savannah
dealers viii obtain an advantage by this extra
which comes Off the Savannah, Florida and
Western road through to Savannah and entirely
out of Florida. II the merchants of Jackson
vile are so blind to their States interest as to
so divert trade from Ferhandina they need not
De surprised at loss of business which Jack
BoHyil,r now gets from this place. no incon-
siderable amount either-and this will hasten a
matter now ON foot to insure a direct trunk line
westward from this port to the Chattahoochee,
! and a line that viii be able TO make rates free
from any Jacksonville influence. If Jackson
vile thinks this arrangement would benefit
them any let them ask a further raise m rates
TO this port and they will find some dings
oud''
WHY IT DON'T COME HERE
The general sentiment among the leading
lumber firms and. dealers here IS that the
views of the Fernandtna correspondent
were colored to suit the occasion. Compar-
ttively Teaking very little Florida lumber
Is shipped from this port. This is due to
sever5. e;cSes. First, the long haul opera
TIM IT, s disadvantage of Savannah, as
the wavs come into direct competi-
tioa q ne New York trade. Secondly,
the a'Ts Of the large mills in Florida
cont Ci vast areas of forests by means
OF their small iron railways, many
of them operated by steam engines.
A large amount OF Savannah capital is in
vested ia these mills, but as the owners can
shin aver from Jacksonville or Fernan-
din. rcount Of the shorter ruu haul, it
ca 'Y seen that they would hardly
ST. nero and then by water to New
ttmentai reasons, A strongef
1ls to induce the Savannah,
Western railroad to give special
class Of freight 10 Savannah,
sl,ratate Commission stood in the
.i3 accomplishment of such a re-
g.
ne LOCAL TRADE DECREASING.
On" prominent firm was inclined TO think
tla. rlie Savannah timber interests were
da'r2 sing every year.
way it is cannot tell, - said the senior
member of the firm, but, though we fig
ure on estimates submitted the same as
usual, we find that more and moro of our
orders are slipping away from us. One ex-
PLANTATION of this is the high port charges
and other expenses here A captain told
me the other day that difference of 25
cents per Thousand ON freight would not in
duce him to come here if he could
get a cargo at some of the coast
ports. There are various expenses
connected with the shipment of lumber
from this point, that operate seriously
against u.s. l notice it more and more each
year, and if the dealers do not make a com
bined stand in the matter we will be left
high and dry in the near future.
SUGGESTIVE STATISTICS.
''Here, for instance, are some interesting
figures from the New York Lumber Trade
Journal of July 15n The statement re-
ferred TO is the following:
SOUTHERN PINE ARRIVED AT NEW YORK JUNE 2S TO
JULY ID, 1887.
From Feet
brunswick, ia. ............... 10000
charleston >. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 1,59S ~